Despite Prime
Minister Narendra Modi's recent admonition over absenteeism in
the Rajya Sabha, the Centre suffered severe embarrassment on
Monday when the absence of nearly 30 NDA MPs, including half a
dozen ministers, saw the opposition ramming through amendments
to a bill to grant constitutional status to the National
Commission for Backward Classes.

The setback is mortifying for the government that has piloted
the National Commission for Backward Classes Bill with an eye to
wooing the politically significant backward castes. There were
big gaps in the treasury benches with ministers Vijay Goel,
Nirmala Sitharaman, Smriti Irani, Ravi Shankar Prasad,
Dharmendra Pradhan, Piyush Goyal, M J Akbar and Ramdas Athawale
absent. The AIADMK ranks were missing as were Akali leaders such
as Naresh Gujral.

Poor floor management resulted in empty front rows and the
passage of a clutch of amendments that envisage representation
for a woman and Muslim members in the NCBC.
The amendments also call for increasing the members from three
to four, protection of states' rights and ensuring all members
of the commission are OBCs. As Clause 3 could not get a
two-third vote as required for a constitutional amendment, it
was dropped from the bill. When the bill was finally put to
vote, it was passed by 124 to 0 votes. But crucially, the
opposition sponsored amendments went through by 74 votes to 52.

The amendments were moved by Congress and are similar to the
ones proposed by party leader Digvijaya Singh in the select
committee that examined the bill. With Congress demanding that
commission membership be restricted to OBCs, the amendments won
the support of Samajwadi Party despite finance minister Arun
Jaitley pointing out that the changes will be struck down by the
courts.

The amendments were passed in favour of the opposition by wide
margins. This meant that the bill as passed by the Rajya Sabha
does not conform to what the government wants and will need to
be sent back to the Lok Sabha for changes once again. As things
stand, there are two versions of the bill as passed by the two
Houses.

The missing members in the NDA benches was shocking as a
three-line whip had been issued. The government seemed to have
been lulled into complacence by the view that parties like SP,
BSP and JD(U) were supporting the legislation. "The basic
principle is that either you divide the opposition, or generate
a consensus as well as ensure presence of your members. This was
very careless floor management," said a senior opposition MP. As
the voting proceeded, leader of opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad
persuaded key regional parties to oppose the government. The
bill was finally passed after dropping Clause 3, to which four
amendments was approved by the House earlier.